TN ready to sell 1,000MW wind power

In the wake of a surge in wind power generation in the state, Tamil Nadu government has sought the Centre's intervention to increase the inter-state transmission capacity to sell the harvested renewable energy to other states that have not met the renewable power purchase obligation (RPO) prescribed by the Central Electricity Act.Sivakumar B | TNN | July 10, 2016, 13:48 IST

CHENNAI: In the wake of a surge in wind power generation in the state, Tamil Nadu government has sought the Centre's intervention to increase the inter-state transmission capacity to sell the harvested renewable energy to other states that have not met the renewable power purchase obligation (RPO) prescribed by the Central Electricity Act.

Chief minister J Jayalalithaa, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, said Tamil Nadu was ready to sell as much as 1,000MW wind power to other states, but inadequate transmission capacity in the grid remained a hurdle. "While dedicated infrastructure would take some time to be created, in the mean time, the Power Grid Corporation may be directed to allocate dedicated transmission capacity to transfer the surplus wind energy available in Tamil Nadu to other states this season (till September). I would be grateful for early action in this regard," said Jayalalithaa.

She also called upon Modi to instruct the Union ministry of power to speed up work on the inter-state green energy corridor. Tamil Nadu is in the process of setting up one such corridor and the work is almost over. Increased evacuation of wind energy this year can largely be attributed to this corridor, which is operational in major wind corridors like Kavalkinaru and Kayathar in southern Tamil Nadu.

As of now, the state is selling 60MW wind energy to Goa for a month and another 60MW to Odisha at '4.4 per unit. Tamil Nadu is routing power to Goa via NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Trading Agency.

There are other states like Uttarakhand which are ready to purchase up to 500MW each, but are unable to do so owing to lack of transmission capacity. "Uttarakhand has offered to give hydro power in return to us during April-May next year," said a Tangedco official.

Tamil Nadu, in recent days, has been generating about 4,000MW wind energy against an installed capacity of 7,600MW.

On an average, about one-third of the state's daily power requirement of 300 million units is met by wind energy, said sources in the state power utility. Even private power generation companies in the state are now free to sell power to other states as the government had lifted restrictions imposed on them a month ago.